The Ship Model Forum

Just sorting out some photos and came across pictures ofAH at one of the l Ship Modelling Society seminars.


The guy next to Ron in the second picture is the Master at diorama work Edger Hodges
The guy talking about his tug in the first picture is Phill Scales the Master of camouflage work there is non better in the UK. Also the young guy to the left of the pic is AH junior a Silver medal winner at the London Model Engineering Exhibition an superb model maker in his own right and a chip off the old block.
Dave Wooley

A short lesson tonight, we continue planking the deck.

All sections cut and ready to be glued in to place. All glued down with PVA white glue. The first part of the deck sanded to a finish and marked out. I have made all the planks a standard 20 ft in length, each plank is staggered a quarter each time. An overall view of the deck, some more marking off to do. A bow shot, notice the gap at the side, that's because of the camber of the deck underneath, this will be held down by the bollard fittings enjoy, ARH

ARH wrote:Hi Geoff, It will look different again when treated, also the fittings in place, you dont have to worry about getting the plank lengths wrong when you plank it all first, thanks for all the posts, ARH

No problem Ron, by asking questions about how you approach each stage, all adds up to further information, by your answers, which also helps other builders who may be considering starting a model in this scale.

Catch you tomorrow

Geoff

I have to wonder at the sheer effort and expense put into building those ships with wooden decks. Why? Decorative? Tradition?

I know it provided some protection from the sun for the crew, but knowing the dear old Andrew I am sure that is purely accidental! The Navy were never big on paying money toward crew comforts in those days.

On the tour of North Caroliner our guide told us the wooden deck prevented sparks if ammunition was dropped on it, pure balony, decks are well padded when ammunitioning ship, and if that was the reason the smaller gun sponsons where ammo was actually handled in the open would have been paneled also.

Well Middle-Watch, I have my own thoughts on this, part was heat insulation, imagine being out in the tropics with the sun beating down, how hot would the ship get, wooooooooooooow, also was it not something to do with splinters flying if shells hit, Dave might know, he's up in to this sort of thing, I only build them, I was in the RAF.

ARH wrote:I was in the RAF.

Not an aerial rigger by any chance? My dad is trying to trace his pals from the bomb tests on Christmas Island.

But on topic, how have you marked the break in the planks? The tip about insulating tape is great, much easier than the other methods I have read up, like applying yarn between the planks as you lay them.

As for the tropics, he he, been there, our mess was right over the diesels, we used to buy sacks of ice and spread them on the deck of the mess to try and keep cool. Need that lantern swinging emoticon again.

middle_watch wrote:

ARH wrote:I was in the RAF.

Not an aerial rigger by any chance? My dad is trying to trace his pals from the bomb tests on Christmas Island.

But on topic, how have you marked the break in the planks? The tip about insulating tape is great, much easier than the other methods I have read up, like applying yarn between the planks as you lay them.

As for the tropics, he he, been there, our mess was right over the diesels, we used to buy sacks of ice and spread them on the deck of the mess to try and keep cool. Need that lantern swinging emoticon again.

Hi , Crash Amblance

I had a friend who was at those tests, he was in the navy, he showed me pictures of the bomb just after they had gone off, he was very small and his job was to clean out the air intakes afterwards, but he had his camera there also court martial offence.

The joins are marked with a pencil, a lot easier that way, and quicker,

Hi Guys, still planking the deck, but a few other things besides.

Looking like a space ship the deck sanded, marked out and treated. Back in position. You can see the camber on the bow I have cut the casement gun protections and placed them in position, these were cut from plastic water piping. When you are cutting the margin planks, cut them larger and let them overlap, you can mark a better angle on the corners. You can see the angles, the long section over the centre of the deck has been slightly bent to allow for the deck camber. We start again on the stern, straight edge on centre line, margin done round #5 turret, timber cut and glued. A little tip, when you have all those pies, cakes and cookies save the little tins they come in, handy for putting glue or paint in, or washing out brushes. When you have planked a section, have some weights handy to put on top to hold it down for a while. This is the finish I am using to treat the decks, seems to work for me. enjoy, ARH

middle_watch wrote:I have to wonder at the sheer effort and expense put into building those ships with wooden decks. Why? Decorative? Tradition?

I know it provided some protection from the sun for the crew, but knowing the dear old Andrew I am sure that is purely accidental! The Navy were never big on paying money toward crew comforts in those days.

I think you will find that it was tradition from the days of sail. All ships obviously had wooden decks, which carried on with the early Ironclads (such as the Warrior, now at Portsmouth) and on up the the early fifties on capital ships.

Teak was imported from Burma and being part of the Commonwealth in those days, was reasonably priced and in widespread supply.
These days, teak has become more expensive and in short supply, so wooden decked warships have become a thing of the past.

Geoff

Hi Ron Super job You progress is frightening a deck lay like that would take me weeks, At this pace Ron you will be looking towards your next project? Incidently I'm off to Blackpool show this weekend hope to get a few pictures.
Dave Wooley

Another good lesson Ron.

At this rate, you will be almost finished before I start on the Marlborough

Geoff

Dave Wooley wrote:Hi Ron Super job You progress is frightening a deck lay like that would take me weeks, At this pace Ron you will be looking towards your next project? Incidently I'm off to Blackpool show this weekend hope to get a few pictures.
Dave Wooley

Get a few for me dave, thanks for volenteering me for Style, Jim wrang tonight, if I can get IRON DUKE in the van with NORTH CAROLINA,

Victorious wrote:Another good lesson Ron.

At this rate, you will be almost finished before I start on the Marlborough

Geoff

There's a long way to go yet, it's the fittings that take the time, all the fiddly bits. ARH

As winter is coming in the UK classes will be suspended for the time being. There is only deck planking to do at the moment and I can not keep posting that, also I have sacked all the shipyard workers ( nomes) they are needed for Christmas, when there's something to show you I will post an update. ARH

Hi Guys, I hope you don't mind, I have been deleting posts in the early pages just to leave pictures and text, the thread is getting very long at 13 pages. It was 15, I will prune gradual, it will help any new people looking for the first time, not having to trawl though lots of text, thanks and I hope you understand. ARH

No problem here, Admiral! Just happy to be enrolled in your night classes!

The ship yard was open today, some gnomes turned up, I think Jim B must have sent some of his.

We are still doing the the planking. We have borrowed the NC dry dock and took some photo's outside, a little to sunny. The photos are all 12 inch to try to keep the text on the page and the down load time quicker, so it effects the quality, I hope you don't mind. Notice the difference in length, 150ft scale wise but 30 years on. Back in the shed, still on the dry dock, I managed to find some thin plastic round tube, this will be the base for the smoke stacks. Beginning to get its final shapes, with the stacks in place it does not look to empty amidships. A little more planking done. enjoy. ARH

I continue planking the decks, notice the 1ft ruler, this gives you a rough idea of the scale of the ship. You have to keep a check that everything is still in line when you join up with the midship section. You may notice ID is not straight down either side, but has a slight curve. 42 planks to the centre line. Overall view of the build so far, the rear stack has to be raised on a small platform to come level with the front stack. enjoy, ARH

Just a small update,

All parts cut out of balsa, Cross section put together and placed in position. Top and bottom fitted together. 1/64 thick ply glued on top. Part in place under the stack. enjoy, ARH

A very short one to night.

The balsa base was covered with litho plate, this was pinned and wrapped around and then glued, the tapered section was glued in position with the base, if you look closely you can see the opposite side of the superstructure has had its litho plate glued on. The section was painted Now both stacks are the same height, a third coat of paint to the superstructure. enjoy, ARH